LogFAQs > #953932809

233. Stereolab Cybeles Reverie (1996)
from the album Emperor Tomato Ketchup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6dNTmfZp0U

How do I even begin to describe Cybeles Reverie? This is a track so ephemeral that it feels lighter than air, yet it simultaneously pulses along with a hypnotic rhythm. Sing-song vocals and rapid rock beats are paired with extended string notes. This is a track layered in contradictory elements. The whole piece works in a cycle, brief instrumental breaks giving a breather from the at times overwhelming harmonies. While difficult to describe how it works, the results are easier to express. This is a song that can be taken as ambient introspection or a rapid-fire rocker depending on the mood. This seems like an impossible pairing until you listen, and it clicks immediately.

A lot of this is the result of pinpoint production. The strings get heavier emphasis, allowing the slower section to overtake the energetic. Both sides are ever-present, yet the production tricks your ear into focusing on what would usually be a backing element. By flipping the script, Stereolab created a sound like few others. Rapid-fire easy listening sounds obnoxious if not impossible, yet Cybeles Reverie pulls it off like the ultimate summer jam. Above all, this is a song that can always put a smile on my face.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/